ISLAMABAD: The top commanders of the Pakistan army met on Thursday and discussed ‘serious concerns’ about cross-border attacks they said were orchestrated by militants using safe havens in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as the use of social media by “politically motivated” internal actors to sow discord between the military and the public.
The views were expressed at the 83rd Formation Commanders Conference held at the military’s GHQ headquarters in Rawalpindi and attended by Army Chief General Asim Munir, all corps commanders, principal staff officers and formation commanders of the Pakistan army.
In a press conference held earlier this month, Pakistan’s military had said a suicide bombing in March that killed five Chinese engineers was planned in neighboring Afghanistan, and that the bomber was an Afghan national. Previously also, the government and army have blamed militants harboring in Afghanistan for a surge in attacks in Pakistan.
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months as Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan. In March, Pakistan also carried out airstrikes targeting militants on Afghan territory. The Taliban have rejected Islamabad’s accusations, saying Pakistan is responsible for its own security challenges.
Since late last year, Pakistan has expelled almost half a million undocumented Afghan nationals, saying the majority of suicide attacks against its security forces were carried out by Afghans, a charge Kabul rejects.
“The forum expressed serious concerns over continued cross-border violations from Afghanistan and terrorism being orchestrated using Afghan soil, noting that Pakistan’s adversaries were using Afghanistan to target Security Forces and innocent civilians inside Pakistan,” a statement from the army said after the corp commanders’ meeting on Thursday.
Talking about internal challenges, the statement, in a veiled reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, said “politically motivated and vested digital terrorism” had been unleashed by “conspirators duly abetted by their foreign cohorts against state institutions.”
“[It] is clearly meant to try to induce despondency in the Pakistani nation, to sow discord among national institutions, especially the Armed Forces, and the people of Pakistan by peddling blatant lies, fake news, and propaganda,” the statement said.
“However, the nation is fully cognizant of their ugly and ulterior motives and surely the designs of these nefarious forces will be comprehensively defeated.”
The military remains the country’s most powerful institution and has for decades had a huge role in making and breaking governments. Khan accuses the military of a crackdown on him and his party, which the army denies.
Although Khan is widely believed to have been brought to power in 2018 with the backing of the army, he fell out with top generals and by April 2022 was ousted from the PM’s office in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. He has since led a defiant campaign against the army, which he accuses of working with his political rivals to unseat him.
Tensions between Khan and the army reached a crescendo on May 9 last year when alleged supporters of the PTI attacked and damaged government and military installations. Hundreds of PTI supporters and leaders were arrested following the riots and some continue to remain behind bars as they await trial. The army has also initiated military court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence. Many close Khan aides have since deserted him, due to what is widely believed to be pressure from the army, which denies interfering in politics.
“The planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of 9th May need to be brought to justice for the collective good of the country, and that without swift and transparent dispensation of justice to the culprits and establishing the rule of law, stability in the country will ever remain hostage to the machinations of such elements,” the army statement concluded.
Khan and the PTI say the May riots have been used as a ruse by political rivals and the military to crack down on the party, which is arguably the most popular in Pakistan. Khan has also been indicted under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism law in connection with the violence. A section of Pakistan’s 1997 anti-terrorism act prescribes the death penalty as maximum punishment. Khan has denied the charges, saying he was in detention when the violence took place.
Khan was also handed four court convictions ahead of Feb. 8 general elections, which ruled him out of the polls as convicted individuals cannot run for public office under Pakistani law. Khan says all the cases are motivated to keep him away from politics.
Pakistan army top commanders decry cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, ‘digital terrorism’
https://arab.news/6e9ne
Pakistan army top commanders decry cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, ‘digital terrorism’
- Army says adversaries are using Afghanistan to target security forces and civilians inside Pakistan
- In veiled reference to ex-PM Khan and his party, army says will defeat “politically motivated digital terrorism”
Pakistan Navy hands over command of multi-nation task force to New Zealand
- Combined Task Force 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf
- Pakistan Navy says intercepted narcotics with street value exceeding $50 million in six months
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s navy handed over command of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 multi-nation task force to New Zealand on Thursday, the navy said in a statement, after heading it for six months during which it boosted cooperation with regional allies and intercepted narcotics worth millions of dollars.
CTF 150 was established in February 2002 and is one of five operational task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multi-nation naval alliance in the world. CTF 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf against threats from non-state actors.
Pakistan Navy Commodore Asum Sohail Malik turned over command to Royal New Zealand Navy Commodore Rodger Ward during a change of command ceremony at the Naval Support Activity in Bahrain. Pakistan had taken command of CTF 150 in July 2024.
The navy said during Pakistan’s tenure as head of the CTF 150, the task force conducted numerous maritime security operations. Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency ships independently interdicted three narcotics-laden dhows, the navy’s media wing said.
“Collectively, Pakistan Navy and CMF intercepted approximately 10 tons of narcotics, with a street value exceeding 50 million US dollars over the last six months,” Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
It said that under Pakistan Navy’s leadership, CTF 150 also actively fostered regional collaboration, securing the participation of ships from Kenya Navy and Royal Navy of Oman in CTF 150 operations.
The incoming Commander of the CTF 150, Commodore Ward, expressed his gratitude to Pakistan Navy for its exemplary leadership and operational successes during its tenure.
The new CTF 150 commander has an extensive background in maritime operations, with deployments to Malaysia, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan, and Iraq, the CMF said in a statement.
This will mark the second time New Zealand has taken command of CTF 150.
Pakistan polio program says 73 cases reported in 2024
- Seventy-third polio case of 2024 reported from Pakistan’s southern Thatta district
- Pakistan is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of 2025 from Feb. 3
KARACHI: Pakistan’s anti-polio program on Thursday confirmed detecting another poliovirus case from last year, saying that the total tally of cases reported in 2024 have now climbed to 73.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against the disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed that the 73rd case has been reported in a child from Pakistan’s southern Thatta district.
“The onset of this case was on December 10, 2024,” the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme said in a statement. “This is the first polio case from Thatta for 2024.”
Giving a breakdown of the cases reported in 2024, the program said 27 cases were reported from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have met several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation by religious hard-liners.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 till Feb. 9.
“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” it said.
Pakistan hopes its spin tactics work wonders against West Indies in test series
- Both Pakistan and West Indies are placed at bottom of World Test Championship table
- Pakistan used industrial-sized fans to prepare spinning track in October to beat England
MULTAN: Pakistan hopes its tried and tested spin template will be successful against the West Indies as the two bottom-placed teams in the World Test Championship gear up for the two-test series starting from Friday.
The same pitch has been prepared for the first test in Multan on which Pakistan spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali neutralized England’s aggressive “Bazball” in October when the groundskeepers successfully dried out the 22-yard strip with the help of giant industrial-sized fans and patio heaters.
“We emphasized during the England series that home conditions are very important in test cricket,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said on Thursday.
“We adapted a style of play, style of pitches, (and) now we will try ... to carry forward the momentum of the England series.”
Pakistan came from behind to beat England 2-1 on engineered dry pitches in Multan and Rawalpindi after losing the first test by an innings when the tourists amassed a record 823-7 declared in the first innings.
Off-spinner Sajid and left-arm spinner Noman grabbed 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two test matches against England, and were in the 15-man squad after being overlooked for the away series against South Africa, which Pakistan lost 2-0.
Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who missed the home series against England because of illness, was included as the third specialist spinner in the playing XI with off-spinner Salman Ali Agha giving the home team a fourth spin option.
Pakistan has lost eight of its last 10 test matches under Masood’s captaincy since he was elevated to red-ball skipper in December 2023. But the skipper believed Pakistan couldn’t capitalize a number of times against Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa after putting opponents on the back foot.
“There are lots of test matches during last year when we lost the games after coming into a winning position,” Masood said. “There were only one or two one-sided matches … we came into good positions but couldn’t finish it. The lesson for this team is how we can convert it into victories.”
Pakistan will be without its in-form opening batter Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of competitive cricket for up to six weeks after fracturing his right ankle during the series in South Africa. Ayub will be replaced by Mohammad Huraira, who scored half-centuries in both innings during the three-day warmup game against the West Indies in Islamabad.
The West Indies has yet to win a series in this WTC cycle. It has lost to India, England and South Africa while drawing 1-1 against Australia and Bangladesh.
But captain Kraigg Brathwaite was hopeful that his team could finish the WTC cycle on a high.
“This series is very important for us,” Brathwaite said. “It’s a new year … it is important to finish this cycle strong and that’s our focus.”
Fast bowler Shamar Joseph was ruled of the series due to shin splits while another pacer, Alzarri Joseph, preferred to play in the ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates.
Brathwaite said the tourists have left out vice-captain Joshua Da Silva from the playing XI while fast bowler Kemar Roach misses out because of illness.
Multan will also host the second test, starting from Jan. 25 due to ongoing upgrades at Pakistan’s two main stadiums in Karachi and Lahore for next month’s Champions Trophy.
Migrant boat with 80 passengers, including several Pakistanis, capsizes near Morocco — FO
- Migrant boat had set off from Mauritania, capsized near Moroccan port of Dakhla
- Minority rights group Walking Borders says 44 of 50 dead are Pakistani nationals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday confirmed that a migrant boat with 80 passengers on board, including several Pakistanis, had capsized near Morocco while on its way to Spain.
Moroccan authorities rescued 36 people on Wednesday from a boat that had left Mauritania on Jan. 2 with 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, on board, minority rights group Walking Borders said. The group’s CEO Helena Maleno said 44 of the 50 presumed dead were from Pakistan.
The group said the migrant ship was on its way from West Africa to Spain’s Canary Islands when it capsized.
“Our Embassy in Rabat (Morocco) has informed us, that a boat carrying 80 passengers, including several Pakistani nationals, setting off from Mauritania, has capsized near the Moroccan port of Dakhla,” the foreign office said.
Pakistan said its embassy in Rabat is in touch with local authorities and that a team from the embassy has been dispatched to Dakhla to facilitate Pakistani nationals.
“The Crisis Management Unit (CMU) in the Foreign Ministry has been activated and the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister has instructed the relevant Government agencies to extend all possible facilitation to the affected Pakistanis,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief and sorrow over the incident, ordering authorities to submit a report on the incident.
“Strict action will be taken against those involved in the heinous act of human trafficking,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “No negligence of any kind will be tolerated in this regard.”
Migrant boats capsizing highlight the perilous journeys many migrants, especially those from Pakistan, undertake due to conflicts and lack of economic opportunities in their home countries.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel capsized and sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek coastal town of Pylos. It was one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Analysts say no threat to Pakistan ruling coalition despite rifts between key members PPP, PML-N
- PPP has reservations over government-proposed canals in Indus River, alleged lack of funds for Sindh
- Ruling party senator admits PPP’s withdrawal of support would trigger coalition government’s collapse
KARACHI: Pakistani political analysts on Thursday said that despite rifts between key ruling coalition members Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on policy issues and allocation of resources, there was no threat to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government.
The PML-N and the PPP emerged as the two largest political parties in parliament after Pakistan’s contentious February 2024 election. The PPP helped Sharif get elected as Pakistan’s prime minister for a second time and settled for the presidency and the governorship in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, areas where it performed poorly in the national polls.
The PPP, however, has recently voiced its displeasure with the Sharif-led government on various issues. The party has expressed reservations over government-proposed canals in the Indus River that it believes would reduce water supply to the southern Sindh province, where it remains in power. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah this week penned a letter to Sharif, protesting against the National Highway Authority’s (NHA) allocation of inadequate funds for Sindh.
However, political analysts brushed aside concerns the PPP would play a part in toppling the federal government.
“As for leaving the government, that question does not arise as everything happening in the country right now is part of a political arrangement, and this arrangement is intended to move forward,” Salman Ghani, a Lahore-based political analyst, told Arab News.
Ghani said that the PPP initially believed that the PML-N would struggle to manage the country’s economic crisis. However, he said the situation had reversed with visible signs of economic recovery. The PPP’s complaints stem from fears that continued gains by the PML-N could leave the party with no future prospects, he said.
“PPP’s reservations seem more related to political survival than a genuine desire to leave the coalition,” Ghani noted. “In fact, whenever PPP raises issues within the high-level government committees, their demands are met.”
Mazhar Abbas, a Karachi-based political analyst, agreed with Ghani. He said that while differences persist, they are unlikely to cause the coalition to collapse, unless Pakistan’s powerful military decided that the PPP should part ways with the government.
“The PPP will not leave unless the [military] establishment decides that it’s the time for the current regime to go,” he said.
Pakistan’s military, which has directly ruled the country for over 30 years and is believed to wield massive influence indirectly, strongly denies allegations it interferes in political matters.
‘EVERYONE WILL LOSE’
Nadir Nabeel Gabol, a Sindh government spokesperson, warned PPP had the power to oust the federal government if its grievances, especially those related to allocation of resources, were not addressed.
“If this attitude persists, I do not see this federal government surviving much longer,” Gabol told Arab News, noting that PPP had helped topple former prime minister Imran Khan’s coalition government in 2022.
He said the PPP would “consider all options” if the federal government keeps sidelining it.
Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan of the PML-N said the federal government was committed to addressing the PPP’s concerns. He acknowledged that if the PPP withdrew its support, the coalition government would collapse.
“We do not have the numbers without them,” he admitted.
He said tensions between the two allies would not escalate to that point, given the recent economic gains by the coalition government.
“If we maintain stability and the IMF program continues smoothly, the economy can stay on track,” he said. “But if instability sets in, everyone will lose.”
Gabol also expressed hope that the rift would be resolved.
“The Pakistan People’s Party hopes it does not come to that,” he said, referring to the party’s possible withdrawal of support in parliament. “The Sindh government hopes that its grievances will be addressed and that democracy will take its course, as it always does.”
